Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

Dictionary online

þá

  • adverb
  • conjunction
Dictionary links
Grammar
þá, adv. conj.
Wright's OE grammar
§560;
Then, when. When the word stands at the beginning of a clause and may be translated by then, the verb generally precedes its subject; if it is to be translated by when the subject generally precedes the verb.
then, at that time
Show examples
  • Ic ofstikode hyne. Swíþe þrýste ðú wǽre þá (tunc),

    • Coll. Monast. Th. 22, 19.
  • Ðá wæs ðæt Agustinus gelaþode tó his sprǽce Brytta bisceopas

    interea Augustinus convocavit ad suum colloquium episcopos Brittonum provinciae,

    • Bd. 2, 2
    • ;
    • S. 502, 5.
  • Godes ðeówas ðá náne landáre hleótan ne móston,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 224, 4.
  • On anginne ðissere worulde menn móston lybban be heora lustum ðá ... wé ne móton lybban be úrum lustum nú,

    • Homl. Skt. i. 16, 233.
  • Hit mæg eów nú fremian swá micclum swá hit ðá mihte,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 378, 12.
  • Se stán ðe ðæt wæter ðá of fleów,

    • ii. 274, 1.
  • Hé on fulluhte underfangen næs, forðan ðe Martinus ðá on neáwiste næs,

    • 504, 24 : Homl. Skt. i. 6, 112.
  • On ðære tíde ðe Ehfrid and Ædelréd wunnon, ðá æt sumon gefeohte wearð án ðegen áfylled,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 356, 24.
marking sequence, then, after that, thereupon
Show examples
  • Ðá cwæð hé : 'Gá gé on mínne wíngeard.' And hig þá férdon,

    • Mt. Kmbl. 20, 4.
  • Sum iungling com mid gyrde tó mé, and wearp hí ðá tó mé,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 312, 17.
  • Se engel mé lǽdde ðá furðor ... Efne ðá æteówdon lígas ... Ic ðá beheóld ðone ormǽtan líg,

    • 350, 15-21 : 456, 24-26.
  • Eft ðá on ðære þriddan nihte middan hé gewát of ðisum lífe. Þá cómon eft englas and hine gelǽddon,

    • 336, 2-5.
  • Hwæt ðá com sum man,

    • 286, 19.
  • Hwæt ða hǽþenan þá hine bestódon,

    • Homl. Skt. ii. 28, 104.
  • Þá se bisceop dyde up ðone sanct,

    • i. 21, 139.
Grammar
þá, as adverbial connective,
of time, when
Show examples
  • Þá hé út eode embe underntíde, hé geseah óðre ídele standan,

    • Mt. Kmbl. 20, 3 : 3, 7.
  • Hwæt hé dyde, þá hine seó menego þreáde,

    • Blickl. Homl. 19, 11, 31 : 5, 25.
of cause or reason, when, since, as
Show examples
  • Hí héton hine secgan hweþer hé cristen wǽre, þá hé wilnode þyllíces,

    • Homl. Skt. ii. 28, 106.
  • Hwá mæg áuht óþres cweþan bútan ðú wǽre se gesǽligesta, ðá ðú mé wǽre ǽr leóf þonne cúþ,

    • Bt. 8
    • ;
    • Fox 24, 26.
Grammar
þá, where the form is doubled, or combined with ðe, v. also IV
marking time, when
Show examples
  • Crist sylf gefæstnode his sprǽce, þá ðá hé spræc tó ánum Samaritaniscan wífe,

    • Homl. Th. i. 482, 24.
  • Ðæt Drihten cwǽde tó Nichodéme, án ðæra ealdra, ðá ðá hé his láre sóhte,

    • ii. 238, 4, 9.
  • Ðá ðe (cum) hé in áre wes

    ,
    • Ps. Surt. 48, 21 : 106, 6.
where the two forms are separated
Show examples
  • Þá heó þá in tó ðære hire moddrian eode, sóna ðæt cild onsprang,

    • Blickl. Homl. 165, 28.
marking cause or reason, when, since, as
Show examples
  • Ðá cwæð his geféra, ðæt hé gefyrn smeáde hwǽr hí bigleofan biddan sceoldon, ðá ðáða fare férdon búton wiste,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 138, 33.
marking condition, when, if
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  • Ðæt hit wǽre geðúht ðæs ðe máre gemynd ðæs fæder, ðá ðá se sunu, his yrfenuma, wæs gecíged ðæs fæder naman,

    • Homl. Th. i. 478, l l.
Grammar
þá, in correlative combinations,
then ... when, when ... then
Show examples
  • Ðá se cyng ðæt hiérde, þá wende hé hine west,

    • Chr. 894
    • ;
    • Erl. 91, 9 : 90, 22-24.
  • Þá þú cýþdest ðæt þú neatest hwelces endes ǽlc angin wilnode, þá ðú wéndest ðæt steórleáse men wǽron gesǽlige,

    (then)

    • Bt. 5, 3
    • ;
    • Fox 12, 34.
  • Þá þá hé fæste feówurtig daga, þá ongan hyne syððan hingrian,

    (cum)

    • Mt. Kmbl. 4, 2.
  • Ðá ðá hé ealdode, þá clypode hé his yldestan cniht him tó,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 234, 22 : 286, 6 : 390, 19-22.
  • Þáðá út faran wolde, þáhét hé beódan,

    • Chr. 905
    • ;
    • Erl. 98, 21 : 894
    • ;
    • Erl. 90, 33.
  • Ðá se wísdóm ðá þis spell áreht hæfde, ðá ongan hé giddian,

    • Bt. 19
    • ;
    • Fox 68, 19.
  • Þá þe ... þá sóna,

    • Blickl. Homl. 163, 15.
  • Þá geseah Abraham Drihtnes dæg, þá þá hé ðás gerýnu tócneów,

    • Homl. Th. ii. 234, 22.
  • Se Frysa ðá, þá ðá hé hine gehæftan ne mihte, lét hine faran,

    • 358, 22.
Grammar
þá, in combination with other demonstrative forms
Show examples
  • Mid ðý ðe heó gehýrde ðone fruman, þá cwæp heó þus,

    • Blickl. Homl. 7, 20.
  • Þǽr ðú cýþdest ðæt ðú nystest mid hwilcan gerece God wylt ðisse worulde, þá ðú sǽdest ðæt . . . ,

    • Bt. 5, 3
    • ;
    • Fox 14, 4.
    • ;
Similar entries
See git, gita, gén, géna, for other instances of the word.
Etymology
[
Chauc. Piers P. tho, thoo
:
O. Frs. thá
:
O. Sax. thó, thuo
:
O. H. Ger.
:
Icel. þá
]
Full form

Word-wheel

  • þá, adv.; con.